Asia
Nabataean tombs, mud-brick old towns and wide open desert.
Saudi Arabia covers most of the Arabian Peninsula. In the northwest, AlUla's sandstone valleys hold the carved Nabataean tombs of Hegra, the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Diriyah's mud-brick At-Turaif district sits on the edge of Riyadh, near the escarpment known as the Edge of the World, and Jeddah's Al-Balad has coral-stone houses with wooden balconies. The Asir mountains and Red Sea reefs add variety.
Travel mixes long desert drives, heritage sites and modern cities. Food centres on kabsa, dates and cardamom coffee served with generous hospitality. Mecca is open only to Muslims, and dress is expected to be modest. November to February is the time to go, when days are warm and clear; summer heat across most of the country is extreme.
January, February, December.